Adapted for the Canadian edition by Hartley Stern, MD
Cancer of the stomach—also called gastric cancer or gastric carcinoma—is a treatable disease that can often be cured when it is found and treated at a local stage. Unfortunately, the general outlook for this type of cancer is poor because 80 percent of the cases diagnosed are already at an advanced stage, having spread to nearby or distant organs. In 1995, 3,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with gastric cancer, and 2,060 of them will die because of the disease.
A more encouraging fact about this cancer, however, is that the death rate has dramatically decreased, falling approximately 60 percent between 1930 and 1970. Stomach cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada between 1900 and 1945, but is now the seventh most common cause of cancer deaths. The exact reason for the decline, which is greatest among the elderly, is not understood, although dietary changes have been considered.
